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Is it simply a case of practicing everything higher, so instead of practicing arpeggio's/lip slurring on a scale of C major, bung it up a fifth and do it on G major?

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No. Just take a trip to long-note town! 20 mins long low notes per day will sort out anyone's stamina. Secondly, don't ask for advice on this forum, as you will be bombarded with useless and conflicting information from well-meaning amateurs (I mean that in the nicest possible way). Ask your teacher for help, or seek out a good pro for a lesson.

As said above, lessons will help! Long notes are what any good teacher will tell you to do but to make them less tedious (because we all know they are!!!) try doing different things with them. Play in varying intervals, not just chromatics G to G etc. I find playing a home note (bottom C for example) then C Sharp, back to C, then D, then back to C etc etc. for an octave helps. Also to help stamina in the higher range, play long notes in the middle of the range, not just below the stave.

On the other hand you can do what I'm about to do and get ready for an 7 month Summer season of marching band on 1st Cornet for the first time in ages that comprises of umpteen guard mounts, 3 or 4 garden parties, 4 Tattoo's and the odd Beating of the Retreat in there aswel!!! My lip will be like steel come September hopefully! lol

While I agree that advice from a personal teacher will always be the best, i don't see why he shouldn't ask for advice on tMP as well.

I think Matt is perfectly capable of deciding which advice on here to follow or not.

My personal, uneducated advice would probably be not to force it too quickly. Build up slowly and note by note. There are some excellent books (e.g. ASA method by Quinque), but in my opinion they are not of muc use without support from a teacher or more experienced musician who can explain you how to effectively use them, adapted to your specific case.

That's not quite what I said. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. What I meant was that all the information given is not going to be the same, whether it's good or bad. I would estimate that 99% of this forum's members are amateurs of varying degrees of ability so will have differing levels of knowledge on the subject. Apologies if I worded it rather clumsily.

To answer the question "you're better than me?", I would have to answer yes, probably. But that's not really the point. Certainly the general consensus is to seek the advice on a one to one basis rather than a web forum where anybody can be anybody.

To answer the question "you're better than me?", I would have to answer yes, probably.

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hmm, and so modest with it . thank you for wording that better! Matt's been here a while i'm sure he knows to take all advice with the good intention it's given in, also what works for some players doesn't always work for everyone.

Like you said the best piece of advice is to ask a tutor or pro who knows matt and his playing.

Merely answering your question. However, I don't think the merits of two forum members really need to be discussed here. I admit my first wording was clumsy, so I re-phrased it. Hope this makes more sense now.

Nope, you seem very fond of discussion your merits, and i'm more the shy type, so we'll agree to leave it there! And as i said before, thank you for re-phrasing your wording. you are right, pro advice is the way to go.

I would agree the John Rigeon book is very good. May I excercise a word of caution, though? While this does not affect most of us, I find that 'How Brass Players Do It' has a tendancy to take the student too high too soon. There are some excersises later on in the book which would defy even the greatest of players. It's a great tool, but I wouldn't take him literally!

ps. Ploughboy, I'm not rising to any bait. It would be unfair on Matt for this to turn into the sort of tit-for-tat there has been on other threads. Sorry I offended you.

Merely answering your question. However, I don't think the merits of two forum members really need to be discussed here. I admit my first wording was clumsy, so I re-phrased it. Hope this makes more sense now.

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How can you possibly say ur better than him when you play different instruments and have you ever heard him? :-? Not having a go just seemed a bit of an odd statement!

Have you got a teaher yet Matt? I know u asked a while ago if me or john knew of anyone but we couldnt really think of anyone who wouldnt cost you half your student loan!

Like other people have said, long notes and just practise will improve stamina.

It's not intended to be a stupid question! I had a very poor range on cornet many years ago, no matter how much i practiced i just couldn't get above a top G. Moved on to Euph and could play about 4 octaves comfortably straight away!

.....not that i'm suggesting you move on to the Euph & Bari row this summer......thats my seat!

It's not intended to be a stupid question! I had a very poor range on cornet many years ago, no matter how much i practiced i just couldn't get above a top G. Moved on to Euph and could play about 4 octaves comfortably straight away!

.....not that i'm suggesting you move on to the Euph & Bari row this summer......thats my seat!

Range and Stamia are quite different tho?

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I think he means, the higher his range goes the quicker his stamina goes?!

You have a good point about the instrument thing, maybe just have a go of someones flugel/horn see if you find initially blowing it any easier. I know a couple of times you used to struggle with production as well (in those very 'class' lessons i gave you) maybe just steal an instrument to see if thats the problem then if not you can rule that out!

Or of course, try a bigger mouthpiece. I seem to remember yours was quite small and shallow? and when you tried on mine your production seemed to be slightly better?! Or is that my imagination?

When I was at the RNCM, Rod Franks came to do a masterclass. H told us a story of when he was playing in Bergen (I think) prior to joining the LSO. He was required to play a piece that had an E above high C. He said he was worried about this and called Maurice Murphy up. A few days later he received a red hymn book in the post from Maurice. When he opened it he found the Maurice had written 8VA above each hymn and had instructed him to play the hymns an octav higher than written until tired.

In this case the old saying has some truth in it........If you don't use it you lose it!!!!

My own advice would be to play / practise until tirecd then go and make a cup of tea or something and take 10/15 minutes off then go back. Keep doing this and your stamina should improve.